Dave Severin, Republican candidate for state Representative in the 117th District, signed a pledge on June 28 that said his first action as a new elected representative would be to vote to remove Mike Madigan as Speaker of the House.
He recently called on opponent John Bradley to address who he would vote for.
“I made a pledge to the people of Southern Illinois that my first action as State Representative will be to vote for Mike Madigan's removal as Speaker of the House — a vote that is taken at the beginning of every new General Assembly,” Severin recently said in a Facebook post. “I called on Rep. John Bradley to join me in making the pledge. He has refused.”
Severin then urged citizens to call Bradley’s office and ask him why he continues to vote for Madigan, especially if he claims to fight for Southern Illinois.
Severin also said that John Bradley has voted for Mike Madigan to retain his power over Illinois politics for 13 years. Severin’s pledge to vote Madigan out of office is also an opportunity for Bradley to change course.
“At the time I made the pledge, I asked John to join me,” Severin said. “Mr. Bradley said he was too busy in Springfield to comment on the issue. Well, it’s August and I think he has plenty of time now to let the people of Southern Illinois know if he will continue to support Mike Madigan as Speaker of the House.”
Severin then explained that Bradley cannot claim to fight for Southern Illinois and call himself an independent voice and then support Madigan, who Severin considers to be the cause of the problems in the state.
“At the end of this election, one of us will be representing the 117th district,” Severin said. “The people deserve to know they will have a voice in Springfield that stands up to Mike Madigan and the Chicago political machine — not take orders from them.”
Through a spokesperson, Bradley explained that he did not want to be distracted from focusing on the current budget talks. Severin said he finds Bradley’s evasiveness upsetting and argued that his lack of response about Madigan is, in itself, telling.
In fighting for Southern Illinois, Severin said he plans to find fiscal and economic solutions, and part of that solution is to remove Madigan from the House.
“Right now we’ve gotten to a point where you want yours and I want mine, and nobody’s willing to budge," Severin said. "This is not going to work and we’ve learned that in Illinois. I want to run so that I can make people say they’re proud to be from Illinois, where we’re not being ranked 50th, 49th or 48th in all these different categories. I’d like to see us at the top."
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